Daddy Palm Tree
by Seto's Darkness
Summary: Orphan Ed was sent to an exclusive school by his rich benefactor. And on that school, he meets the snobbish teen, Envy. Would he realize that his beloved Daddy Palm Tree and Envy is just the same person? [EnvyEd, others, AU]


**Full Summary: **Ed's at an orphanage. On his fifteenth birthday, a mysterious benefactor adopts him and sends him to an exclusive school. He tried his best to excel in his classes and hide the fact that he's just an orphan. Life's all good—writing letters to his caring Daddy Pine Tree and joggling time between his new friends and school work—until he met a snobbish, irritating male named Envy. What would happen if… Envy wasn't as much of a stranger as he thought? Would he ever realize that his beloved Daddy Palm Tree and Envy are just the same person?

**Warnings:** no spoilers here, AU, age-difference between Ed and Envy, drama, romance, shounen-ai, possible yaoi, mild violence, **mild language**, possible OOC, fluff, and Al's not Ed's brother (or is he? Haha, plot twist, here I come!) nothing too rash XD

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything.

**Dedication:** Multi-chapter fic, dedicated to Wing It:) You said you like long-winded fics better :D I also rarely write light-hearted fics, since I almost always stick to angst, so this is a refreshing change :D

**Inspiration:** My SasuNaru fanfic: Daddy Sasuke; though things are kinda different here :D The novel _Daddy Long Legs _by somebody-whose-name-I-can't-remember-sorry :( Additional props to the SasuNaru fanfic _Daddy Rooster Head_, which was also based on _Daddy Long Legs_.

**PS:** The setting of this fanfic would be in "modern-world", Western Type. :) hmm, I don't think anybody would bother, anyhow XD

* * *

It was one normal Sunday afternoon. 

It wasn't overly bright, for the wandering clouds shielded the teens assembled on the soft grass from the glare of the sun. The wind was steady, occasionally playing with the teens' un-shampooed hair and caressing their scarcely-soaped faces.

For the moment, their unpleasant circumstances and unlikable state of hygiene weren't on their minds, however. They were too busy basking under the softness of the weather, enjoying their rare free time, before the Head Master thought of something for them to accomplish.

One such teen among the group of orphans was Edward Elric. He was orphaned, just like the others here, but he didn't seem to belong with his fellow children. His name—more importantly, his _surname_—was a bit surprising, for it was the same surname that was bestowed upon a group of wealthy aristocrats living on the other end of the country.

Ed (as he preferred himself to be called by his fellow orphans, since Edward sounded too intimate, for some reason), didn't like to be associated with the wealthy Elrics. The connection between him and that family, according to his view, was something of a—meaningless and hated—coincidence, probably because his father (whoever he was) was too ambitious and named his child improperly.

Aside from the odd coincidence, Ed was a child that easily stood out amongst the others. The occasional visits of teachers from various schools for their charity work let his natural genius shine through. He had intelligent wit, superb genius, and cunning strength. He physically was _short_ for his age, but the radiance of his blond hair and golden eyes was more than enough to compensate.

Despite the fact that most of the occupants of the Fields of Hope Orphanage liked him well, he felt as though he was _confined_, _constricted_, _suffocated_ in this place. He only had vague memories of his family before he landed here—a young child left on the doorstep of the center, frantically looking around for his mother—but he wanted to be able to feel the distant warmth that he could recall.

Plus, their Head Master, Misashi, was somebody of pure evil. He _loved_ torturing the orphans with tons of chores that he knew they'd never finish by the end of the time period he gave, and then he'd dish out punishments for the incomplete work. It was safe to say that Ed hated the guy.

There was only one reason why he was sitting here, amongst his peers, peacefully and not trying to ambush their Head Master. It was because tomorrow, Christmas Day, which was also his birthday, a group of rich benefactors would visit and they'd donate money, food and clothing.

No, not just that—for Edward Elric was never simple—it was also rumored that they might take a couple of children from here.

That's what Edward is hoping for, because he'd take the chance to be stuck with those arrogant asses, if it meant being educated, being independent and being free.

He focused amber-colored irises to the floating clouds above, unmindful of the idle chatter going around him.

_I'm going to be free.

* * *

_

**Daddy Palm Tree**

**Prologue Chapter: The Golden Child**

—an Envy x Ed Fanfic

* * *

"Here, we have some of the works of the artistically-gifted children…" Misashi's voice (sounding laughably decent and professional and devoid of nasty scowls and devilish punishments) floated down the hallway, along with footsteps of fat-bellied investors and cigarette-smoking businessmen. 

Edward Elric held back a derisive snort at the act, knowing that these old farts didn't know that Misashi made all of them slave over those things for one whole week, only to be able to say that they have artistic talent.

_Whateverrrrrr._

He walked down the polished hallways, a thoughtful look on his face. He remembered the work that he submitted, a picture drawn and shaded with the help of the charcoal sticks he and Nina found. It was an image that he saw from a far-away dream—the face of a kind woman with a mother's smile, an innocent-looking young boy, and a younger version of himself. It was hypocritical of him, yes, for he had never seen those people before, and he'd never find himself in a warm, appreciative family like that.

He pushed the gloomy thoughts away, as he found himself on the back garden of the Center, with nobody to accompany him. It seemed that most of the other orphans were caged inside a 'classroom' and ordered to behave. Ah, well, too bad for them, then.

He went to a wooden bench that was already falling apart at some areas, some parts weathered by the sun's heat and some worn down by the constant rain the other week. He was intent on finishing another sketch he started earlier this morning, before they were roused from their uncomfortable (since, after all, their beds were as soft as the wood planks on the basement) slumber to do some last-minute cleaning.

Golden eyes widened when he failed to find his prized sketchbook; he was already pacing around, frantically trying to recall where he last placed his possession. It was very important to him, for some unspoken reasons, because nobody else saw it, not even the Head Master's watchful eyes. It held significant value to him, for those sketches were a part of himself, a part of the freedom that was held back from him. He was in the process of coloring a drawing he saw at one of Misashi's textbooks on ancient alchemy (because, as much as the evil-incarnate denied it, he's a sucker for fantasy-like tales).

He suddenly remembered last placing his sketchbook on the other bench at the opposite corner of the garden. As quick as lightning, he whirled around, long hair whipping around, not paying great attention to his surroundings, and he took three steps, before he collided against a warm, strong body. He stumbled and flailed around, the momentum of the harsh impact pushing him away from the person he crashed against.

He kept outstretching his hands, wanting to claw at something, anything, to stop his fall. When his hands found nothing but the previously-soothing air, he descended to the dusty ground, his butt not entirely cushioning the fall.

_Owww, damn it. I shouldn't have moved too quickly…_

His pain and his irritation at his actions were halted though, as his irises managed to identify the cause of his fall.

The person had emerald-colored hair, the long strands fanning around the person like a fountain, reaching down to the slim waist. A feminine-shaped face, which was marked by perfectly-sculpted cheekbones, housed a pair of strangely-colored purple orbs. Pale, _pale_ skin covered every inch of the person, from the column of that swan-like neck, to the stretch of the bare shoulders, to the length of those sinewy arms, to the washboard stomach, to the long legs. The person was wearing a miniskirt-like bottom and a turtleneck-like top that didn't even manage to reach half of the other's chest.

"I know that I'm pretty and sexy and all that, but it'd be nice if you'd stop ogling at me, O-Chibi-san," A high-pitched voice that was partly-feminine, and partly-authoritative, said. The words made Ed avert his wandering eyes guiltily though, the confusion about the person's gender still lingering on his prodigy mind, but then…

"Who're you calling a shrimp, you unknown-gender-freak!" Ed bellowed, trying to look intimidating, but only succeeding on appearing absolutely irritated, and endearingly adorable. If the amused smirk that appeared on the stranger's face was any indication, he found the young teen positively interesting.

"Maa, maa, Chibi-san sure is feisty," The stranger commented, placing a gentle-seeming hand on the edge of slim hips, looking cocky and amused at the same time. As though struck by an afterthought, he cryptically added, "And if you were so interested in knowing my gender, you can always ask."

Ed flushed pink at the comment, unable to fathom why this person managed to irritate and embarrass him so easily, even though he was usually able to handle an onslaught of height-related jibes on a daily basis. What made this anorexic-looking male-female so special then?

"Ch, like I'm interested anyway," Ed snapped, though his eyes kept on diverting towards the other's chest, noting that it looked terribly flat for a female. _But h-he looks so… girly!_

As Ed was busy scrutinizing the stranger, his sharp eyes managed to see what the other was holding on one hand.

"That's my sketchbook!" He crowed, one tanned finger pointing accusingly on the green-haired teen. An elegant eyebrow rose up, disappearing beneath the cover of a thick headband (or was it fore-band?). Violet eyes danced with barely-concealed mirth as the stranger drawled, "I don't think so; somebody as fiery as you wouldn't be able to draw something as _tender_ as these."

Instead of getting the covered-up compliment though, Ed bristled some more. "You peeked on my drawings, you bastard!" Nobody was supposed to see his drawings! Nobody but himself!

"What's the big deal?" The long-haired teen asked curiously, regarding the seething Ed with an interest he never openly displayed before. Sure, the person was interested… on other… more violent and sadistic things—but never on people, especially _kids_, especially kids with immoderate tempers.

"What's the big deal! WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL!" Ed repeated the words with increasing volume. He didn't care of Misashi heard him; he didn't care if those fat investors wouldn't want to adopt him. Damn it, this person was pissing him off!

"They're MY drawings, damn it!" Ed exclaimed, right fist already drawn back, and the first punch was thrown. It didn't collide with his designated enemy though, as the feminine-looking person easily side-stepped him, delivering a swift kick beneath their legs, sweeping him off the ground.

Ed twisted quickly, pushing his arms forward and trying to balance his fall. He got some more dirt on his palms, but it was quickly forgotten in favor of kicking this arrogant person's ass. At least, Ed knew that this person was male—very much male—if the power humming beneath that temptingly-touchable skin was any indication.

Even though rage and anger were surely present on Ed's face, the stranger looked decidedly smug and confident. He looked kinda young too, though that might be due to his rebel-teen-like outfit.

His thoughts were disrupted by a whiny-sounding voice, while the other resumed his hip-pose in front of him. "I mean, if you ever become a famous artist or somethin', you'd have to let others see your work, yeah?" The person's words made logical sense, but Ed couldn't find it in his mind to calm down, listen and believe.

An idea clicked into Ed's mind, as he made to deliver another punch, ignoring the smirk that widened with satisfaction.

"You think you're so tough, you skinny ass!" The stranger's fists twitched dangerously at the comment. "Just because you can run to your daddy inside when you get hurt—it doesn't mean you can just contaminate my property with your filthy hands!" Edward declared, fighting off the urge to growl as the other didn't block the punch to that pretty face. The eyebrow was raised again—to what, Edward didn't know, and frankly, didn't care about—but Ed didn't take notice.

He noticed it, though, when he met the ground again. The next thing he knew was that he was blinking dazedly at the gorgeous-looking sky, both pissed and amazed at the other's speed and force in fighting. Heck, he didn't even notice that the other kicked him down—and he was already considered the best fighter in the area!

"What's your name, _shrimpy_?" The stranger asked, and when Ed made a strangled noise that doubled as a protest, the other kneeled, and Ed's view of the drifting clouds were blocked by the pretty face with a now-blossoming bruise.

"_Chibiiiii_," The other drawled in that irritating androgynous voice, poking at Ed's forehead when the teen didn't answer. The poking continued for a minute or so, before Edward thought that it didn't matter if this pale-skinned teen ran home to his daddy and complained against him to the Head Master.

"It's Edward Elric," He dully said, but the poking continued. "And stop poking me!"

"Sorry," The person apologized, but the pleased expression on his face was nowhere near apologetic. "You just looked so cute, glaring at nothing, o-chibi-san," He continued, as though he was just commenting about the passing weather; he didn't seem bothered by the fact that he just _complimented _a complete stranger, who generally wanted to maim him a few moments ago.

Ed's face looked like a cross between humiliation and irritation—and he tried to get up swiftly and deliver another well-deserved punch to the smug, feminine-as-hell bastard, when his face met with the picture he was about to finish. The serpent he drew looked so close to him and he could see the lines of paper and the blurry edges of his charcoal shading.

"What's that?" The stranger sounded curious and interested, and Ed half-smiled, calming down slightly and ignoring the butterflies fluttering on his stomach.

"It's called an Ouroboros," Ed simply said, taking his beloved sketchbook away from the stranger's now-lax grip on the material. He calmed down greatly when the possession was returned to him. The younger of the two made another move to get up, but he was pushed down again, and he felt his hand being taken into a pair of lightly-callused pale palms.

_What the…_

His palms were touching the expensive texture of leather, and golden orbs widened in shock and horror. The stranger winked at him, letting his unsuspecting hand to linger on the very flat chest.

The chest moved away from the stunned teen's palm after a few seconds.

"Nice to meet ya, shrimpy." The other practically skipped away from the poor, shocked teen on the ground. The next words lulled Edward into a more bewildered state, though.

"And I'm very much male."

* * *

His mind was still reeling with shock as his friends sang a birthday song, sang with horribly-mismatched tunes. His fingers trembled as he ate the chocolate-flavored cake that everybody painstakingly baked for him, still remembering the feeling of touching the flat planes of chest that was poorly-hidden by the tight leather that left nothing to the imagination. 

He was about to go to the bunk bed he shared with four other orphans, when Misashi called for him, voice unnaturally pleasant. Ed shot the older man a suspicious look; it only freaked him out when Misashi cheerfully attended to him like he was important.

_Important…_

_Wait! Could it be that the teen from earlier really told his father/mother about me! CRAP! I'm so DEAD!_

"A benefactor talked to me earlier, about you, Ed," Misashi started, smiling off goofily like the strange females he saw on the nearby towns whenever their 'Prince Charming' would pass by. Eww.

Edward became busy being disgusted with the mental images and mentally complaining about the strange person he met earlier, when he heard the last portions of Misashi's statement.

"…you're going to move out by next Wednesday, January 4, since En—uh, Mr. E. wanted you to be able to get settled soon…"

"WAIT! WHAT MOVING OUT! WHY!" Ed blurted out loudly, and the Head Master visibly cringed at the volume of his voice.

"…You haven't been listening to me, have you?" The question had a dangerous edge on it, and Ed gulped, ready to launch into a tirade of lies to avoid another punishment, but Misashi only gave a long-suffering sigh.

"Somebody was actually deluded into thinking you're a _great_ kid, Ed, and he wanted to adopt you, send you into the most exclusive school on this side of the planet, finance all your studies and necessities and give you a generous allowance," Misashi drawled with not a little bit of envy and annoyance.

"So that's what that palm-tree looking shadow was talking to you about…" Ed mused, as he recalled passing by Misashi's office earlier, and seeing the shadows of two men talking—one had been Misashi and one is this Mr. E., who looked like a pine-tree, judging from the shadows he saw.

"Don't call him _that_! Show some respect, you insolent brat! He's the head of—" As Misashi was about to reveal a portion of the identity of Ed's benefactor and recite off a long list of the other's recognitions, Ed jumped out of his seat, excited about this great news.

"Yeah, yeah whatever you say. Well, I'm off!" Edward said quickly, eager to tell his roommates about this news, completely ignoring the Head Master's exasperated look.

_He's going to be free!

* * *

_

"You're going to adopt a kid?" The feminine voice that entranced a vast majority of males sounded downright amused and surprised, eyes intently watching the long-haired person that waltzed into the room and flopped into his office desk.

"Yeah. So what?" The person snapped irritably, annoyed that most of the people didn't even question him as he said those. Those who had the bravery to question him (or were they just freakin' stupid?) were annoying as all hell though.

"Nothing much… I just never thought that you were the generous type," The woman commented with an ample amount of disbelief, thoroughly interested with this development. After all, this person was _never_ known for generosity (rather, it was the exact opposite) or kindness or compassion, or any of those crap.

"Well, lay off on my case, will ya? The kid's interesting, to say the least," The other mused loudly, actually looking through his files. Now, the woman was really curious—whoever managed to catch the other's interest and make him actually _touch_ papers willingly (as in, without unnecessary violence and blackmail) had to be very, very, _very_ special.

"So… what are you going to do to him?" The woman inquired, the heels of her tall, black boots clicking against the polished floor of the office. The person gave her a long, withering look; coupled with those unnaturally-colored eyes, it was more than unnerving.

"None of your business," The other snapped, reverting back to his usual self, one hand arranging the files on the desk, and one hand busy clicking the mouse. The ample-chested woman had to raise a finely-sculpted eyebrow at that. Never had she seen the other this… _busy_.

"What's the kid's name?" She inquired again, not giving up in squeezing something out of this highly-volatile person. She knew that she could get kicked out of the Estates as soon as she ticked the other off, but her curiosity is piqued now. She could at least get the name of the person who managed to make this corpse-like person seem _to pulse with life_.

Violet eyes gleamed under the muted lighting of the office, and those lips that easily formed scathing words stretched into a feline smirk. He spoke the name of the teen that captivated his interest, which was coincidentally, somebody who possessed the exact same last name as the one imprinted on the documents with _his_ signature.

The other spoke using the annoyingly-luscious androgynous voice.

"His name is Edward Elric."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

Written in less than 2 hours; please forgive the errors XD

**A/N:** Hmm, so what do you think:) Interesting enough:D Ed would be more IC as he goes to his school, because he'd be around the FMA Characters XD

To those picky enough: I know that December's associated with winter, but let's say Ed's at a different hemisphere for the prologue :D

**Next Chapter: **Ed moves in to his new high school, and he meets his classmates, and most importantly: Alphonse Elric, who looks eerily like the one on the picture he drew. More on his interaction with his benefactor that he'd so fondly name Daddy Pine Tree. And… he meets Alphonse's cousin—**Envy Elric**. The beginnings of the shounen-ai, and more plot twists—all on **Chapter One: The Iridescent Emotion**.


End file.
